''Haliotis roei'', common name Roe's abalone, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Haliotidae ''Haliotis'', common name abalone, is the only genus in the family Haliotidae. This genus once contained six subgenera. These subgenera have become alternate representations of ''Haliotis''. The genus consists of small to very large, edible, h ...

, the

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Haliotidae. Other common name In biology, a common name of a taxon o ...

Description

The size of the shell varies between 50 mm and 120 mm. "The shell has a short-oval shape. The distance of the

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...

from the nearest margin is somewhat over one-fifth the greatest length of the shell. The

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

consists of strong unequal spiral cords crossed by radiating folds. The 7 to 9 perforations are rather small and a little raised The right side is straighter than the rounded left margin, and the back is depressed. The color of the shell is scarlet-red, more or less marbled with olive-green, painted with broad white rays. The spiral riblets are numerous, unequal, separated by deeply cut grooves. Their summits are cut by fine radiating striae. They are further rendered uneven by more or less developed folds radiating from the suture. The

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

is rather elevated. The inner surface is silvery, very iridescent, with pink, green and steel-blue reflections. The columellar plate is narrow, obliquely truncated at its base."H.A. Pilsbry (1890) Manual of Conchology XII; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1890
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Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

References

* Gray, J.E. 1826. ''Mollusca''. pp. 474–496 in King, P.P. (ed.). Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia. Performed between the years 1818 and 1822; with Appendix B. London : John Murray Vol. 2 viii 637 pp., 9 pls * Menke, C.T. 1843. ''Molluscorum Novae Hollandiae Specimen in Libraria Aulica Hahniana''. Hannoverae : Libraria Aulica Hahniana pp. 1–46 * Philippi, R.A. 1845. ''Diagnoses testaceorum quorundam novorum''. Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie 3: 147–152 * Wells, F.E. & Keesing, J.K. 1989. ''Reproduction and feeding in the abalone Haliotis roei Gray''. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40: 187–197 * Wilson, B. 1993. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp * Shepherd, S.A., McShane, P.E. & Wells, F.E. 1997. ''Australian abalone''. Molluscan Research 18(2): 119–326 * Geiger, D.L. 2000

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: ...

''Distribution and biogeography of the recent Haliotidae (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda) world-wide.'' Bollettino Malacologico 35(5–12): 57–120 * Geiger, D.L. & Poppe, G.T. 2000. ''A Conchological Iconography. The family Haliotidae''. Germany : ConchBooks 135 pp * Degnan, S.D., Imron, Geiger, D.L. & Degnan, B.M. 2006. ''Evolution in temperate and tropical seas: disparate patterns in southern hemisphere abalone (Mollusca: Vetigastropoda: Haliotidae).'' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 41: 249–256

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5642444 roei Gastropods of Australia Gastropods described in 1826